Melrose credits the structure created by coach Ken Hitchcock, the commitment of the players and the goaltending of Leclaire as the major factors in the Blue Jackets’ turnaround. Several national hockey pundits expressed similar opinions about a team that began yesterday with the NHL’s third-best record.

“I don’t think anyone can truly say they saw this coming,” said Brian Engblom, an analyst for the Versus television network and a former Blue Jackets television color commentator.

Last night Raffi Torres played his 201st consecutive regular-season game for the Edmonton Oilers. It’s a streak that dates back to Feb. 21, 2004 and is currently the 16th longest in franchise history.

“I don’t know what the secret is,” said Torres prior to facing the Minnesota Wild.

“I’m just going out there and trying to play the same game every night. It’s not like I’m playing a shy game or anything like that, I guess I’ve just been fortunate to stay healthy for such a long time.”

“I would feel real good leaving next year and see them win the Stanley Cup,” he said, sarcastically.

So, with that in mind, Redden admitted to Sun Media he would consider taking a pay cut from his current $6.5 million salary to stay….

Redden has no idea how much he’s willing to leave on the table to stay and be a part of what is going on here. He’ll have to talk to Meehan about that, he said. But that should be encouragement enough for Senators GM Bryan Murray to be proactive—as he has been so far—to keep Redden.

from Fire & Ice, Devils Coach Brent Sutter after a 5-0 loss to the Penguins last night….

“Our effort was brutal outside of our goaltenders. If it wasn’t for the goalies, it probably would have been 8-0 or 9-0. To me, tonight was a total lack of professionalism by our commitment as individuals and as a group, our preparation for how to play. It’s totally unacceptable.

“I will not accept that. That’s not even close. That’s players’ accountability to the front of that jersey.”

Ford Motor Co. expects former Red Wing Vladimir Konstantinov and former team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov to pay for legal costs and any judgment that may arise from a lawsuit they filed against an Ohio Ford dealer over injuries they suffered in a 1997 limousine crash.

Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov settled their claims against Ford in 2001 for a total of $227,730. Now Ford has asked them to finance the lawsuit they both filed against Findlay Ford, citing an indemnification clause in the 2001 settlement.

Maybe they lack flair or style. Maybe they’re soft-spoken and surrounded by more recognizable stars. For whatever reason, every team has them – underrated players who show up every night and make a difference.

With input from a number of traveling hockey writers, here’s the player who earns the underrated label for each team.

Montreal Canadiens: Mark Streit – A late-bloomer who hails from Switzerland, the smooth-skating defenseman didn’t join the Canadiens until he was 27 years old.

During a secret meeting last December, lawyers for NHL player Todd Bertuzzi offered $350,000 to settle a $15 million lawsuit filed by Steve Moore, the former player whose neck Bertuzzi broke in an on-ice attack that roiled the league, according to court documents.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen very often. But every once in a while, the National Hockey League does something that deserves praise rather than the usual deluge of criticism that rains down day after day.

Needless to say, it involves commissioner Gary Bettman only peripherally. There’s not much that Bettman does that is worthy of praise.

But in allowing Colin Campbell, his director of hockey operations, a fairly free hand to try to reshape the game, Bettman stayed out of the picture long enough to do something to improve the league.

The product that MacLean knocks was in full view on Saturday. Seen in most markets, the Toronto Maple Leafs-Montreal Canadiens game, in which five goals were scored, was fast-paced, never dull and produced plenty of scoring chances.

Before the crackdown started in 2005-06, MacLean predicted the players would never adjust. Well, despite the officials continuing to call the game closely — too closely, many would say — restraining fouls are down 21 per cent from last year.

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